Social Security Disability

Although a doctor’s disability diagnosis can aid you greatly in your Social Security Disability claim, it is not the deciding factor.  His or her diagnosis is an opinion and, therefore, supporting evidence that substantiates your claim. After you file an SSD claim, a disability examiner at the Disability Determination agency…

As with any legal proceeding, do not be surprised if you feel nervous when you appear to testify at your Social Security Disability hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge.  Happily, these hearings are much less stressful than other kinds of court appearances. To begin with, the actual hearing…

One in four of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before age 67, according to the Social Security Administration.  Social Security Disability pays disability benefits based on your work history, which can help provide a valuable inflation-protection income stream if you become unable to work. Social Security Disability Insurance is the…

President Trump recently signed a bill into law that will affect individuals who handle Social Security payments for people with disabilities.  It is known as the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018 and was approved unanimously by Congress. The law bars individuals with certain criminal convictions from…

“Susan” applied for Social Security Disability benefits last April due to mental health issues that prevent her from working.  Her initial application, like two-thirds of all disability claims, was denied, so with the help of an attorney, she applied for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). “Susan waited…

Disability benefits are based on how much you earned when you were working and how much money you paid into the system.  This calculation is called your primary insurance amount. You can generate an estimate of your likely payment using an online tool on the Social Security Administration’s website. You…

The Social Security Administration’s budget has been cut by almost 11% after adjusting for inflation since 2010.  Since that time, the agency has lost 3,500 employees. Under the funding level for fiscal year 2019 proposed by the Trump Administration, another 1,000 field office staff will be cut. The House Ways…

During 2016 and 2017, the number of people who died while waiting to learn if they qualified for Social Security Disability benefits increased to 18,701, according to a Social Security Administration report.   This unfortunate reality is the outcome of increasingly long wait times before claimants find out if they…

The Social Security Administration defines disability as the inability to perform substantial gainful activity because of a medical problem that has lasted or is expected to last twelve consecutive months or result in death.  There are some strategies you can employ once you have filed for SSD benefits to help…

A recent bipartisan agreement to raise the caps on discretionary spending in 2018 and 2019 calls for more funding for the Social Security Administration’s operating budget.  The SSA’s budget shrank by 11 percent between 2010 and 2017, even as the SSA’s workload grew. A consequence of these deep cuts is…